With the in-crowd

The Knights' three home games so far have brought in a total of 6,504 fans, at an average of 2,168 per match.

Only National League giants Leigh Centurions (average 3,129) and ex-Super League club Salford City Reds (2,840), two of the main favourites for honours this season, have bigger home averages, while the traditional big-guns like Featherstone, Hull KR and Whitehaven are trailing.

Of course, the Knights' average was boosted by the 3,300 crowd that attended the club's first-ever game, against Hull KR, but, even so, the gates have raised eyebrows across the RL community, with praise coming from far and wide.

And Ferres was naturally delighted with the support shown for the club. "The fans deserve a massive pat on the back," he told the Evening Press.

"We're the third-best supported club outside Super League at this moment in time - and they haven't seen a win at home yet, so in that sense they've everything to look forward to.

"It's only a matter of time before we're celebrating a home win."

Ferres was also happy the fans had something to cheer about on the field after last week's historic win at Sheffield.

"It was great for the supporters," he said. "There were a fair few York fans there to see it and they were tremendous.

"They've been fantastic all season and we have to thank everyone who has turned up to watch us. We obviously want to keep them as fans and increase the level of support and we're working hard to do that."

NATIONAL LEAGUE Clubs' Average attendances (2003)

Leigh Centurians 3129

Salford City Reds 2840

York City Knights 2168

Oldham 2056

Featherstone Rovers 1799

Hull Kingston Rovers 1549

Whitehaven 1266

Barrow Raiders 1127

Keighley Cougars 1093

Dewsbury Rams 1085

Doncaster Dragons 1029

Rochdale Hornets 1015

Swinton Lions 937

Sheffield Eagles 838

London Skolars 766

Batley Bulldogs 689

Hunslet Hawks 612

Workington Town 541

Chorley Lynx 317

Gateshead Thunder 270

SWINTON Lions and Salford City Reds are aiming this week to join York in a select band of rugby league clubs.

The Greater Manchester neighbours are both bidding to become only the fifth club from outside the top flight to reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals.

Widnes were the latest to achieve the feat - and the only one during the Super League era - in the inaugural Super League season of 1996 when they lost 24-14 to St Helens in the semis.

Before Super League, the only clubs from outside the top division to reach the semis were Oldham (1964 and 1990), Halifax (1980) and, of course, York in that glory run of 1984, when they lost narrowly to Wigan at Elland Road. None went on to the final.

Swinton and Salford have very difficult tasks tomorrow, playing host to Wigan and St Helens respectively.

NEW signing Darren Robinson had a less stressful trip to Sheffield last week than he did for the Knights' previous away match, at Featherstone.

The former Rochdale hooker made his debut in that match at Rovers - but only just, after arriving at the ground just five minutes before kick-off.

Apparently, the Leeds-based player had travelled over to York that day in order to join up with the squad on the team bus for the trip to Post Office Road - but it seemed nobody had told him the squad were not travelling by coach but instead making their own way there in cars.

"Darren thought he would be right professional by going to York," said a source, "But nobody was there."

After a bit of panicking and a few phone calls here and there, Robinson managed to get himself a taxi down to Featherstone, to arrive just in time. It is not known who stumped up the £44 for the taxi.

IT seems some kind of good cup coaching voodoo has affected Knights second-row Mick Ramsden.

The York stalwart, who signed for the Knights after a spell with local amateurs New Earswick All Blacks, has continued to help out with match-day coaching for the Yorkshire League side - but it seems his luck has been restricted to the cup.

Ramsden, who has strong links with All Blacks after starting out there, has taken the reins eight times this year, twice for league games and six times in the Gordon Teale White Rose Trophy.

And, amazingly, the side have won all six cup matches, defeating two lots of league leaders on the way to the cup final, but have lost both league matches to underdogs.

A date for the All Blacks' White Rose Trophy final, which will be against high-flyers Hunslet Old Boys, is yet to be confirmed, but the club will no doubt be glad Rammo has pledged to be there.

Ramsden said: "Every time I've done match-day coaching in the league we've lost, but we've won every match in the cup. I will be there for the final, definitely."

Whether he will continue to do league matches is not known.

THE Knights have again arranged free buses for supporters travelling to tomorrow's match against Doncaster Dragons from different areas of the city. They are:

Thanet Road Baths 2pm, then Stonebow Job Centre 2.15pm;

Burton Stone Lane (Corner House) 2pm, then Lowther Street shops 2.15pm;

Haxby Memorial Hall (opposite the shops) 2.15pm, then Crompton Terrace bus lay-by 2.20pm;

York Railway Station forecourt 2.10pm approx, meeting train from Doncaster.

All buses will make return trips, departing from Huntington Stadium at 5pm

prompt.

York RL's homes from home

THE Evening Press revealed this week that the Knights might be set for a short-term switch to York City FC's Bootham Crescent ground.

Such a move could be on the cards if plans for City to share Huntington Stadium with the Knights come to fruition as redevelopment to upgrade Huntington to Football League standards might mean the Knights have to play elsewhere while building work goes on.

York RL have, of course, played at Bootham Crescent before - as these photographs show. They are pictures of the Challenge Cup match against Leeds on January 29, 1989, which attracted a crowd of 11,347 - too many for York RL's then ground, Clarence Street. Leeds won the tie 28-9.

York RL had four 'home' venues in 1989. They played the bulk at Clarence Street, had this Cup tie at Bootham Crescent, played their final home game of the 1988-89 season at Castleford after Clarence Street was closed and, in October of the 1989-90 season, began life at Huntington Stadium.

Speedster Smith surges out in front

CHRIS Smith continued his fine form for the Knights last week when being named man of the match for the second consecutive time in the Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire player of the season competition.

The former Super League speedster had moved from the wing to full-back against Sheffield Eagles and gave a sure-fire display both defensively and when linking up with the attack.

The three points awarded to him takes him clear in the player of the year standings.

Almost anyone could have laid claim to the man of the match nomination last week after a superb team show and similarly almost everyone could have warranted the remaining points. But, adhering to the rules of the competition - in which the Knights' best player in each match is awarded three points, the second best two points and the third best one point - only two more players could win points, and they were front-rowers Paul Broadbent, who takes two, and David Bolus, who claims his first point of the campaign. Both were magnificent in taking the game to the Eagles.

At the end of the season, the player at the top wins £300 and the runner-up £150.

Standings: Smith 8pts, Hayes, Krause 5, Jackson 5, Hallas 3, Callaghan 3, Ramsden 3, Godfrey 3, Broadbent 3, Cain 2, Lloyd 1, Bolus 1.

GRAEME Hallas was very unlucky not to have got on the player of the year scoresheet last week after allying a fine all-round display with an accurate kicking game that took the match away from Sheffield.

But consolation comes from the fact his eight goals moved him up with the leading goal-kickers in the National League.

The centre, who has missed two of the Knights' seven matches through injury, took his season's tally to 22, to move into joint-fifth in the standings.

Former York full-back Jamie Benn is just above, on 23, while the runaway leader at this stage is Batley's Barry Eaton.

Leading goalscorers: Barry Eaton (Batley) 33; Darren Holt (Whitehaven) 27; Paul Ashton (Keighley) 25; Jamie Benn (Dewsbury) 23; Stuart Dickens (Featherstone) 22; Graeme Hallas (York) 22; Mick Nanyn (Rochdale) 21; Gavin Brown (Sheffield) 20.

BATLEY Bulldogs' former York prop, Steve Hill, is back in contention again after being ruled out of action since October because of a stomach muscle injury.

Updated: 09:01 Saturday, March 15, 2003